JP 2016-120866 A discloses fixing a steering column support member, a floor brace, and other members serving as the plurality of additional fixture members, at a plurality of positions of the pipe by bolting or welding.
The plurality of additional fixture members may be externally fixed to the pipe member by simultaneous electromagnetic forming. In simultaneous electromagnetic forming, the plurality of additional fixture members are placed outside the pipe member at a plurality of positions as viewed in the axial direction in a state in which they are fitted to each other, and electromagnetic coils are placed inside the pipe member at the positions where the additional fixture members are to be fixed. A pulse current is then simultaneously applied to the electromagnetic coils so that the plurality of additional fixture members are externally fixed to the pipe member. As such, the manufacturing time of the pipe assembly including the pipe member and the plurality of additional fixture members may be shortened.
However, while a current is intended to be simultaneously applied to the plurality of electromagnetic coils in order to simultaneously fix the plurality of additional fixture members by swaging the pipe member by electromagnetic forming, a slight time lag may occur in an actual process between times at which a current is applied to a plurality of portions that are to be swaged. As such, the resulting order in which a current is applied may cause a failure to form the pipe assembly into a desired shape.
The method of manufacturing a pipe assembly according to the present disclosure is directed toward manufacturing a pipe assembly having a desired shape while shortening the manufacturing time of the pipe assembly.